Joseph Aoun tackles Israel... and Hezbollah

BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun delivered a series of speeches on Friday in which he deplored Israel for its attacks on first responders during the war, stating that Israel is “not an exception” and must respect international humanitarian law.

President Joseph Aoun first condemned the Israeli attacks targeting members of the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC), affirming that “even war has rules” and that international humanitarian law imposes clear obligations on all parties to a conflict. “Israel is not an exception,” he declared at the 12th Regional Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in the Middle East and North Africa, in Beirut. He recalled that Israeli strikes had killed two Lebanese Red Cross rescuers while they were carrying out their humanitarian mission. According to an official report from the Health Ministry published in June 2026, at least 135 rescuers and medical personnel have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since March 2, 2026.

Later, in a more veiled criticism of Hezbollah, the head of state paid tribute to the army and its “sacrifices even for those who stand against it and against the state,” in an allusion to the Shiite militia. “Despite the difficult circumstances the country is experiencing, the military institution continues to achieve results,” the Lebanese president stressed during the laying of the foundation stone for a housing construction project for the mutual benefit society of non-commissioned officers and soldiers near Baabda. He assured that “the trust of the Lebanese is the most important weapon” and that it is a source of “great pride.”

Joseph Aoun tacle Israël... et le Hezbollah